The pace bowler has secured 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an impressive average.
Australia's selection chief the selector has declared that skipper Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming historic rivalry.
There were concerns that Cummins might be unavailable due to a ongoing back issue that was still troubling him.
Earlier indications from the squad suggested no final decision had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the Test matches scheduled to begin on November 21 in the WACA.
Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and was "optimistic" about his chances of participating.
"We know that the window is narrowing and multiple considerations at play, aside from the physical problem, but further aspects," he commented.
"We're encouraged. We firmly believe that he will feature a major part. Ideally it's the first Test. If not, we'll adjust."
Past Concerns
Cummins was ruled out the ODI and T20 games against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals recently after medical tests showed a lumbar bone stress.
He has a history of spinal problems, with setbacks in several earlier campaigns causing him to miss multiple domestic campaigns in four years.
He emphasized he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan to make the squad for the series.
He mentioned that there was no confirmation if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his rehabilitation but admitted it was "getting tight" for him to be fit for the initial match.
Contingency Plans
Should Cummins not be fit, former captain Steve Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was excluded lately from the ODI lineup for their limited-overs matches against India as a precautionary measure because of soreness in his side.
He labeled it as a "small issue and confirmed that he'll feature in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."
"Extensive planning has gone into building out the plan for him to take part for the opening match as an batting and bowling option," the selector detailed.
"He was only going to play the starting games in any case. His aggressive style the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, should it hinder progress for 24 more hours, we opted to adopt a safer strategy."
Match Calendar
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
